Whiteley Creek Homestead

walnut dill tuna salad

This tuna salad from eatingwell.com was a quick lunch as I finish my last project due for the present college term. It is a nice change of pace from the traditional mixture. Serve it on a lettuce leaf strewn with toppings (e.g., raw sunnies, pumpkin seeds, and sprouts) alongside homemade yogurt and fruit.  

 

Walnut Dill Tuna Salad

1 slice whole-grain bread

¼ cup chicken broth

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

2 tbsp plain yogurt

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic

pinch cayenne pepper

1 6-ounce can tuna* (I used a 12-ounce can.)

1 carrot, diced (I shredded mine.)

 1 stalk celery, diced (I used 2 stalks.)

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (I used 1 tbsp dried dill weed.)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (I used garlic pepper.)

Puree bread, broth, walnuts, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne in food processor. Transfer to a bowl and add tuna, carrot, celery, and dill. Serve in a lettuce leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Top with raw sunnies, unroasted (raw) pumpkin seeds, sprouts, etc. *I just can’t eat mushy tuna, so I eat albacore because it is chunky. However, albacore tuna can be high in mercury content… large fish=more mercury. I haven’t found a good substitute yet, so I choose wild caught albacore tuna and limit my intake.  

mango pudding

This quick fruit and nut dessert from eatrightamerica.com is equally appropriate and yummy for breakfast.

 

Mango Pudding

¼ cup almonds

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into chunks (I used a 16 oz pkg frozen mango chunks + 2 tbsp pineapple juice because my blended needed some extra liquid to encourage the blades to spin.)

1 banana

1 tbsp date sugar (I omitted, but it would add wonderful flavor, I think.)

1/8 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp cinnamon for sprinkling on top

Grind almonds in a Vita-Mix or other powerful blender until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients except cinnamon and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve in individual bowls garnished with a banana slice and a sprinkling of sliced almonds and cinnamon.

flax irish soda bread

My daughter Heather plans to make Irish soda bread for my granddaughter's St. Patrick's Day class treat. She makes it frequently, but I had never tasted it, so today when I ran across a page I had torn from a November 2007 issue of Country Home with a recipe for Flax Soda Bread, I headed to the kitchen... in honor of her birthday today. 

 
I discovered via an Internet search that there are many variations. For one, you can add dried fruit. This recipe is so light and tender and quick and easy. I served a wedge with a bowl of soup... a perfect accompaniment. I love the earthy, rustic look of the loaf.

 

Flax Soda Bread

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ cup whole wheat or rye flour

½ cup ground flaxseeds

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

2 eggs, slightly beaten

¾ cup buttermilk

2 tbsp honey

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, buttermilk, and honey. Add to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. (Dough will be sticky.) Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface. Knead 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. (I tossed just enough flour on top of the dough as I worked it so it wouldn’t stick to my fingers.) On a greased baking sheet using well-floured hands, shape dough into a 6-inch round. (It will poof as it bakes.) With a sharp knife, cut a 4” cross, ¼” deep, on top of the loaf (to let the bread stretch and expand as it rises in the oven). Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

baked oatmeal

This bowl of oatmeal looks plain jane, but it is anything but. A little twist packs a whole lot of flavor goodness. It is reminiscent of rice pudding.

 
The "hotdish oatmeal for breakfast"recipe comes from Ann Burckhardt (aka "The Hotdish Queen"), a born-and-bred Minnesotan who is the author of Hot Dish Heaven: Classic Casseroles from Midwest Kitchens. She was featured in the October 2008 issue of Midwest Living Magazine. *I have included directions in the recipe for optionally soaking the rolled oats overnight to neutralize the phytic acid. I strongly recommend the soaking step. 

Baked Oatmeal

1 ¾ cups water

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

2/3 cup milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ ¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

Butter 1 ½-quart casserole. In medium saucepan, bring water to boiling. Slowly stir in oats. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered 5 to 7 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and the oats are tender, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, whisk milk and eggs. In another small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir into oatmeal. Fold egg mixture into oatmeal mixture. Pour oatmeal mixture into casserole. Bake uncovered in 350° oven 30 to 40 minutes until center is just set. Makes 4 to 6 servings. *Optional: To soak the rolled oats, mix together 1 cup water, 1 cup oats, and 2 tbsp buttermilk. Cover and let sit overnight on kitchen counter. In the morning, bring ¾ cup water to boiling, then add soaked oatmeal mixture. Simmer covered for about 3 minutes. (Cooking time is reduced by half when the oatmeal is soaked overnight.) Follow the recipe for the remaining steps.

 

buttermilk sucanat pancakes

I made these lightweight buttermilk pancakes from Clean Eating Magazine this morning. The sucanat adds wonderful flavor. We were racing out the door, so I didn't get a photo of the end product.

 

Buttermilk Sucanat Pancakes

Makes 16 pancakes

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

¾ ¼ cup organic sucanat (I'm going to try reducing even further to 2 tbsp.)

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

1 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 egg white

1 tbsp sour cream (I used homemade yogurt.)

Olive oil cooking spray

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and sour cream; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Mist skillet with cooking spray. Pour ¼ cup batter into skillet for each pancake and cook for 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges appear cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over and cook for 2 more minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat with remaining batter, remisting skillet with cooking spray between batches.  

raw spinach avocado pudding

 
This pudding from eatrightamerica.com is a nutrition powerhouse! Check it out... avocado, banana, and spinach with raisins and shredded coconut toppings. Dick wouldn't get up in the middle of the night to devour it, but he ate it. That's a reliable testament to its flavor quotient. It's really very good. I have included a few recipe tweaks. 

 

Spinach Avocado Pudding

2 1 avocado

1 2 bananas

4 cups organic baby spinach

½ cup vanilla soymilk (I used unsweetened rice milk.)

½ cup date sugar (I didn’t use any sweetener at all and it was good, but next time I am going to try 1/8 cup (2 tbsp) just because I think the date sugar would add wonderful flavor. You definitely do not need the entire ½ cup.)

½ cup currants or raisins, optional

1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut for garnish

Blend all ingredients except currants and coconut in a Vita-Mix or other powerful blender until smooth and creamy. (I don’t have a Vita-Mix, so I coarsely chopped the spinach and my blender did a fine job.) Stir in currants or raisins (or omit or sprinkle on top). Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (I didn’t wait this long.) Stir. Scoop into individual bowls and sprinkle with coconut.

spring blog cleaning

 

If you have been a frequent visitor to my site, you may have had the same reaction that my youngest daughter Jess had when she recently stopped by for a read. "I almost jumped back from the screen because I was surprised to see flowers. So big and bright and pretty!"  For the past couple days on my blog, I have been "rearranging furniture for a new look, picking up odds and ends strewn about and putting them back where they belong, sweeping away the cobwebs, picking a bouquet of wildflowers for the kitchen table, and throwing open the windows to let some fresh air" into my site. The impetus for the cleaning frenzy was my daughter Lisa's graphic designer eye, and simply... her new eyes peering in and providing "unsolicited" (Lisa's word) suggestions. My blog's spring cleaning is not complete, but please do stop by for a visit.  (Picture is from a Dick & Jane workbook circa 1962.) Note:  I thought it would be helpful to be "at the door to greet you"... just to reassure you that you were indeed at the right blog address. So, for yesterday's post, I moved an older post into that position... one with a photo of me and a bit of an introduction.  

a little bit

"A little bit about me before you go... " This phrase has been floating around in my brain... song lyrics, I think. Each of us has a story... a song. Here's mine.

 

 

Hello. My name is Adrienne Cahoon (a.k.a. "queen of the meadow blooms"). I grew up in a family of fourteen on a 160-acre farm ten miles southeast of Brainerd. I attended first grade in a one-room schoolhouse 1-1/2 miles from my childhood home. The following year, schools were consolidated and we were bused into Brainerd. Throughout my childhood, I helped tend gardens and fields on the acreage that my father farmed in addition to his full-time job with the Minnesota State Highway Department. I had an apron-clad stay-at-home mom who baked made-from-scratch fresh from the oven bread and cookies for when I got off the school bus. It is from this background that I developed a love for all facets of homekeeping, gardening, land stewardship, and related environmental issues. During my eleven years as a full-time classroom teacher (six years in Minnesota and five years in Florida), I was selected 1996 Conservation Education Teacher of the Year for the state of Florida and recipient of Disney's 1996 Teacherrific $3000.00 Top Program Award for a school-wide waste management system utilizing composting. In 1993, I earned a Master of Science Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and completed my Master Gardener certification through the University of Minnesota in March 2000. In 1999, I opened Whiteley Creek Homestead Bed and Breakfast on the property where my husband and I have lived for 36 years. I am presently earning a Bachelors Degree in Holistic Nutrition. I have three daughters. My eldest daughter lives in New York with her husband, two daughters and a son and is a freelance graphic designer and author and illustrator of children's books. My middle daughter lives in New Jersey with her husband, son, and daughter and is a freelance graphic designer in NYC. My youngest daughter has a degree in psychology and lives in Florida working as a merchandiser for a women's fashion designer based in Los Angeles. Her territory includes the entire state of Florida, as well as Puerto Rico.

rolled oats soaked

Last night, I prepped for this morning's breakfast by combining 3 cups thick rolled oats, 3 cups purified/filtered water, and 6 tablespoons buttermilk (or Kombucha, kefir, or whey). By allowing it to sit overnight on your countertop a minimum of 8 hours up to 24 hours, the acidic medium neutralizes the phytic acid in the oats. Remember, from a previous post about soaking grains to make muffins, I stated that I had learned in one of my nutrition class textbooks that phytic acid can bind minerals such as calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, and especially zinc and they can be carried out through the intestinal tract without being absorbed. (Haas, E.M. Staying Healthy With Nutrition) Phytic acid, which is present in the outer layer, or bran, in whole grains is the seed's means of preservation until the conditions (moisture, warmth, time, and slight acidity) are conducive to sprouting. By providing these conditions in advance of consuming the grain, the nutrients can be more efficiently utilized by our body.  

 
This is what my oats looked like upon rising this morning. I like to soak them in a two-quart glass measuring bowl. It comes with a cover, but you could throw a kitchen towel over top or use an elasticized bowl cover that looks like a shower cap. All that's needed in the morning is to add 3 cups milk (preferably raw) and 1 tbsp cinnamon. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until thick. (Because the oats are soaked overnight, the cooking time is reduced.)

Spoon into bowls and serve with fruit, chopped nuts, raw sunnies, 1 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed, and milk.

 

Because this recipe makes such a large amount (7 one-cup servings), it will last for several breakfasts depending upon family size. Use recycled pickle, applesauce, peanut/almond butter, or spaghetti sauce jars to store premeasured serving sizes. In the morning, it's as simple as heating in a pan with a little liquid. How about a baked version of this soaked oatmeal that tastes like rice pudding? Yum!

creamy carrot soup

It is overcast and chilly today... a soup kinda day. This Creamy Carrot Soup, from Dr. Fuhrman's blog eatrightamerica.com, is a winner fer sure... fer sure. To give the soup body and creaminess, some of the veggies are removed from the soup after simmering, whirred in the blender, then added back into the soup. Be sure to taste the blended mixture... so good! If you don't have a juicer, you can purchase carrot juice, but a juicer will become your best friend right up there with a yogurt maker and a grain mill. 

 

Creamy Carrot Soup

4 cups carrot juice

2 cups water

2 medium potatoes chopped into bite-size pieces

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 green, yellow, or red pepper chopped (The less green, the sweeter the taste.)

1 medium or ½ large onion, chopped (I sautéed it in a bit of olive oil before adding to the soup pot.)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest or other no salt seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Original Blend.)

1 tbsp Spike Seasoning, no salt (I used McKay’s Vegan Chicken Seasoning.)

4 tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos

10 Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped

4 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Add all ingredients, except the nuts, spinach, nutritional yeast, and parsley to a large soup pot. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove half of the veggies (about 2 cups)and place in a Vita-Mix or other powerful blender. Add some of the soup liquid. Add Brazil nuts to blender mixture and blend until creamy and smooth. Add back to pot and stir in spinach to wilt. Stir in nutritional yeast. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 6.

coconut nut butter fudge

Dick was rummaging through the freezer when I heard some crinkling of foil packaging going on. He was into the chocolate chips again. I told him I could do better than that, so I mixed up this simple nutritious fudge in no time flat. Nicole over at her fitness freak blog created the recipe. Thanks, Nicole. It's a make again... and again... and again treat. (If you prefer to use raw ingredients, see Nicole's recipe for her ingredient recommendations.)  

 

Coconut Nut Butter Fudge

½ cup nut butter of choice (I used almond butter.)

1 ½ cups organic unsweetened shredded coconut (The shreds are finer than regular shredded coconut.)

¼ cup cocoa (I used Ah!Laska 100% organic non-alkaline cocoa powder.)

1/3 – ½ cup agave nectar

1-2 tbsp organic coconut oil, melted (I omitted this, but I'm going to use it next time.)

Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Place in an 8x8 pan lined with natural parchment paper. (Because I omitted the coconut oil, the consistency of my mixture was thicker. I dropped into mounds onto parchment paper instead.) Place in the fridge until set… or just devour.

peachy beany muffins

A while back I gave each of my daughters a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks titled Smart Muffins by Jane Kinderlehrer. I have made many of the recipes in the book, but Heather recommended one that I hadn't tried yet. Oh, are they good! They are so very light with a hint of spice and packed with nutrition thanks to the mashed pinto beans... yes, beans in muffins. You'd never know it unless I told you... which I did, so now you know. Besides the peaches (or mango which is what I had on hand instead) and prunes, there is no additional sweetener except a measley 2 tablespoons honey or molasses. I used blackstrap molasses because they are an excellent source of calcium.

 
You can use either buttermilk or yogurt. I used some of my homemade yogurt.

 
I like to use a whisk to mix the wet ingredients then switch to a wooden spoon to mix the dry with the wet.

Peachy Beany Muffins

1 cup cooked pinto beans, mashed (a bit over ½ of a 15 oz can)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey or molasses (I used blackstrap molasses.)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp yogurt or buttermilk

½ cup sifted whole wheat pastry flour

2 tbsp wheat germ (I used ground flax seed because it was handy.)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 cup diced peaches (1 large) I used frozen mango. Dice, measure, and set in a sunny window while measuring the remaining ingredients. It’ll be unthawed by the time you are ready for it.

½ cup diced prunes

¼ cup chopped nuts. (I used walnuts.)

Using a food processor, mush the beans with the oil, honey or molasses, egg, and vanilla. Scrape into a bowl and add the yogurt or buttermilk, fruit, and nuts. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, wheat germ (or flaxseed), baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Preheat the oven to 375°. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until mixed. Don’t overmix. Spoon the mixture into 6 jumbo or 12 regular muffin cups. I used a jumbo-size pan and made 5 muffins. The batter was a bit skimpy for 6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 

february's farm bounty

I went on a little jaunt this afternoon to a farm just two miles down the road.

 

I thought maybe a few plump perfectly ripe strawberries would be nice... 

and, oh... the leaf lettuce was so very pretty.

 
 
A dozen freshly laid eggs and some ripe and not-so-ripe tomatoes would be good... and the homemade citrus marmalade that glittered in the sunlight looked too yummy to resist.

The not-so-ripe tomatoes will go into a green tomato pie using my mom's recipe that she has made ever since I was a kid. Yes, it will most definitely show up on these pages.
  

lunch bag pocket calendar

The inspiration for today's project came from two unrelated sources that gelled so seamlessly. Gosh, I love it when that happens. There are oodles of paper bag craft ideas, but this particular idea that I found on a scrapbooking site caught my attention. It combines paper art with sewing... two of my favorite artistic outlets.    

 

The 2010 calendar pages were created by an artist named Shauna, who is a friend of my daughters from their art high school days. Shauna (and possibly her husband since they work as a duo ) "designed the pages with a vintage proofing press using wood and lead type." She/they graciously provided a pdf, on their "something's hiding in here" business blog, to print each of the twelve months and their company label, which I cut out and used in combination with a drawing from an April 1962 pattern counter book to make my cover.  

 
This is how you do it. Make two holes along the bottom edge of a lunch bag with a hole punch to insert two metal rings into, fold up the bag to make a pocket, machine stitch along each side of the pocket using a long basting stitch, then glue the calendar and month's name onto each page. I made a pocket calendar for my each of my two oldest granddaughters. I "hid" a little something for them in each month's pocket... stories, activities, riddles, etc. from a 1939 book titled 365 Busy Days Something to Do for Every Day of the Year. They can also tuck their own little treasures into the pockets. 

I timed myself. For each bag, it took two minutes to punch the two holes, fold it up to make a pocket, and stitch the sides... IF you sort through the bags before you start and discard (as in use them for brown bag lunches, not craft projects) the ones that are bunched up like the example on the right. If you use the bunched bags, they will just make you mad. In 30 minutes, you will have the bags ready so that you can glue on the calendars.

celery stuffed

In yesterday's post, I shared a Cream of Something Soup recipe. If you made it... and I hope you liked it as much as I did and now you are wondering what else you might do with the  jar of nutritional yeast, why not make a quick tasty snack with it?

I stuffed a stalk of celery with farmer cheese, which tastes similar to cream cheese, then sprinkled raw sunnies and Red Star Nutritional Yeast Flakes atop. Yum. Just... yum. (Hint: Chop the celery into bite-size chunks and the strings won't get caught in your teeth.)